World AIDS Day takes place on Saturday 1 December. On the themed day, organisations and decision-makers from a variety of different fields make appeals in favour of international HIV work Finland has succeeded exceptionally well in treating the HIV epidemic. According to organisations, it is possible to copy this success story all over the world.
In Finland, poverty affects about 110,000 children. Childhood poverty will affect young people’s transition into independence and have consequences manifesting during their adulthood. The Good Holiday Spirit collection by the Finnish Red Cross and the Mannerheim League for Child Welfare for impoverished families with children will be launched on 22 November.
The Finnish Red Cross is donating EUR 100,000 from its Disaster Relief Fund for humanitarian aid in Ethiopia. In addition to the acts of inter-communal violence that escalated in June, the people of Ethiopia suffer from malnutrition and lack of clean water in Kochere and in the Gedeo Zone.
The Finnish Red Cross continues the closure of reception centres. According to the Finnish Immigration Service’s plan, the reception centres at Kitee and Kotka will be closed at the end of June. From the beginning of July 2018, the Finnish Red Cross will run 21 reception centres for adults and families and 3 units for unaccompanied minors. The total number of residents is 3500.
Today, once again, on World Refugee Day, the UN refugee agency UNHCR reports the number of people trying to reach the shores of Europe and those drowned at sea during the journey. Images of drowned refugees catch the interest of people every once in a while, but the fate of these people is ignored more often than not.
If a passenger ferry ran aground today, all help would be needed. One of the most important tasks of the volunteers of the Finnish Red Cross is to support the evacuees mentally in case of major disasters.
The Finnish Red Cross is sending two mobile clinics and two aid workers to assist the Kenya Red Cross Society as the flood situation escalates. A large part of Kenya has suffered from exceptionally heavy rains and floods on the Tana River.
Kristiina Kumpula, the Secretary General of the Finnish Red Cross, received the North-South Prize of the Council of Europe. Kumpula's selection is based on her exemplary work in promoting international solidarity and cross-cultural co-operation.
The children's joy is contagious as they cheer on their idol: "Kaisa is tougher!" On the final day of the Kontiolahti Biathlon World Cup event, enthusiastic little skiers from the Kitee reception centre are waving Finnish flags among the thousands of spectators.
Today, once again, on World Refugee Day, the UN refugee agency UNHCR reports the number of people trying to reach the shores of Europe and those drowned at sea during the journey. Images of drowned refugees catch the interest of people every once in a while, but the fate of these people is ignored more often than not.
If a passenger ferry ran aground today, all help would be needed. One of the most important tasks of the volunteers of the Finnish Red Cross is to support the evacuees mentally in case of major disasters.
Kristiina Kumpula, the Secretary General of the Finnish Red Cross, received the North-South Prize of the Council of Europe. Kumpula's selection is based on her exemplary work in promoting international solidarity and cross-cultural co-operation.
The children's joy is contagious as they cheer on their idol: "Kaisa is tougher!" On the final day of the Kontiolahti Biathlon World Cup event, enthusiastic little skiers from the Kitee reception centre are waving Finnish flags among the thousands of spectators.
A friend survey conducted by the Red Cross shows that volunteer friends help people trust themselves, others and society more. Volunteer friend visitor activity can effectively prevent loneliness and social exclusion.
Toini Niskonen has been working as a volunteer in Lempäälä for several years. She first met Maija-Liisa while taking out the bins, as Maija-Liisa lives in the building next to Toini’s block of flats.
Large-scale power outages in the beginning of January demonstrated the strength of the Red Cross volunteers’ aid in Kainuu. The situation was worst in Suomussalmi and Hyrynsalmi.
The multicultural day centre in Helsinki is visited by a dozen or so undocumented people every day. Inside, visitors can drink a cup of coffee or tea, enjoy a bowl of warm soup and chat with the day centre’s staff or volunteers. Advice and help is at hand for difficult situations.
World AIDS Day is on Friday 1 December. Currently there are about 600 people with HIV in Finland who are unaware that they have been infected. Various organisations play a significant role in the fight against HIV when the goal is to make contact with those individuals whom public healthcare cannot easily reach.
In the autumn of 2015, tens of thousands of asylum seekers coming to Finland needed food and a roof on their heads quickly. Managing the exceptional situation required exceptional measures from the Red Cross as well as from other actors. What costs were incurred by the government-funded reception operation carried out by the Red Cross?
The autumn of 2015 was a challenging time for the Red Cross workers and volunteers in Finland. Emergency accommodations for asylum seekers had to be established at a few hours’ notice, and there could be as many as three reception units set up in one day. How does the Finnish Red Cross assess the past two years?
The Red Cross is supporting two hospitals by sending three nurses and medical supplies from Finland to Iraq. The hospitals are being used to treat people wounded in the fighting in Mosul.
Health care services in Syria have all but collapsed, and help is needed urgently. To this end the Finnish Red Cross is challenging everyone to participate in the Hunger Day Collection, to be held on 15–17 September.
Two massive earthquakes struck Nepal a year ago. Almost 9,000 people died and nearly a million buildings were destroyed. Over five million people suffered from the consequences of the earthquake. The Red Cross has been there since the start of the disaster.
Tens of thousands of refugees and immigrants are stuck in Greece. The Finnish Red Cross will send a specialist to support the international aid operation.
The Red Cross appeals to everyone to help Ethiopians. A severe drought means that millions of people in Ethiopia and in sub-Saharan Africa have no food.
At the moment, the efficient way to get help to those in need in Syria is via the Red Cross Disaster Relief Fund. The local volunteers do significant aid work in live-threatening conditions. They assist the Syrian people every day by delivering food, medicine and blankets.
The trucks, carrying food, medical supplies, blankets, and other aid supplies arrived in the towns of Madaya, Foa’a, and Kefraya on Monday, 11 January.
Tun Tun Naign, 22, realised the significance of aid work in the state of Rakhine, Myanmar, in 2012, when he was sent there to support those living in a refugee camp.
